Thanksgiving Dinner
I make Thanksgiving dinner for my husband’s family every year. Well, except the year I was in the hospital delivering my son. They let me off the hook that year. Usually the total guest list stretches to between 12-15 people. I make a huge meal: turkey, stuffing, and all the trimmings. Preparing the sheer mass of food can be a daunting process. But, I manage and before I know it we all tuck in. Then, in a sickeningly short period of time (consider it takes me days to get the food there in the first place), we all sit there, full, sleepy, and happy specimens of gluttony.
When I start preparations for Thanksgiving dinner, I generally feel like I’ll never get it all finished in time. Let’s face it, Thanksgiving, though ridiculously yummy, is a high-maintenance, high-preparation, and high-stress meal. Well, unless you’re parked on the couch watching football as my culinarily-deficient husband, then it’s not so bad.
But, for me, it’s a huge undertaking.
As is the process of writing my novel.
I approached writing my novel similar to the way I approach Thanksgiving dinner. I wrote lists and I tried to visualize accomplishing all the tasks necessary to finishing.
I’ve encountered similar obstacles as I do while making Thanksgiving dinner. I swing viciously between annoyance that it is taking so long to get finished and giddiness that it’s almost done. At times, I doubt that I’ll ever get it done and then I buckle down and attempt new and more efficient techniques.
This entire roller coaster has made me appreciate the value of micro-thinking. If I stand back and stare at where I am in the course of my WIP, I start to get overwhelmed by whatever emotion has been riding so close to the surface. Whether that’s doubt, elation, or plain old confusion, looking at the writing of a novel from a macro perspective can be daunting, the same way looking at preparing a huge meal for 12-15 can be daunting.
But, if I break down the huge task into smaller tasks, it becomes more doable. In my novel, I have tried to focus on the goal of each scene separately and let the huge task of WRITING THE NOVEL take care of itself.
I’ve accomplished Thanksgiving each year by breaking it into smaller tasks. Who says it can’t work for my story?
And I hope that at the completion of this process I feel pride and satisfaction that dwarfs the pride and satisfaction of a successful dinner party.
How do you keep the huge task of writing from overwhelming you? Do you (even you panters) focus on scene goals? Ever thrown a huge dinner party? Got any tips for me? (Hey, I’m a pirate; it’s in my nature to use you as a resource.)
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30 comments:
I do Thanksgiving too. And I outsource the tasks (too bad I can't get some people to write my next chapter). Husband does the shopping, people bring things, somebody stirs the gravy at the last minute while I mash potatoes.The biggest deal is the table setting---my inner decorator comes out in full force---about three days before, so everything is lined up and sparkling.My family mocks me for setting the table early and buying gourds and turkey napkins, but they eat everything anyway. Not the gourds or the naplins, though.
As for writing, I am a pantser, and have no idea how I'm going to come up with the next 40,000 words. I don't know where the next 40 are coming from, either. But I've been writing a little a day, not putting any number on anything. It seems to work. I'm a pretty good boss to myself---no expectations, LOL.
Morning Maggie!! I think just writing every day is breaking down the task. A little is still something. Walking up a mountain happens a step at a time.
I was wondering about outsourcing with the rest of the relatives. I haven't so far, but now everyone's getting married and hooking up with others and it's getting bigger. We'll see what the year holds.
That's what writing is missing- more pie.
I keep weekly word count goals. I try and keep the focus on the short term- I'm writing this scene- versus the larger I'm writing a whole book.
If that doesn't work I turn to drink.
Eileen - thanks for stopping by!
I think pie makes everything better, particularly my french apple pie with yummy vanilla ice cream.... mmm....
I think the focus on one scene has helped me move forward. Everytime I think beyond that, I get so weighed down by the big picture.
And, well, alcohol helps....
Eileen's got me thinking about pie. Anyone else have suggestions? It's supposed to get cool here tomorrow (60, down from a projected 75 today) and I think I could use a pie... LOL!!
It's a very daunting task to adjust from writing fan fiction to an original. At times, I've been so overwhelmed that I had to step away for a while. It was all about finding what type of genre I needed to write.
I also approach writing by setting little goals. I have accepted that I'll never be a speed writer. I have an internal editor that never stops. If I write fast, most of what I write is disposable, so therefore I look at writing each chapter in a certain amount of time. I'm seriously considering cutting off my internet service, without it, I think I could write this puppy in no time. The only problem is the research aspect-needing access to the internet.
*sigh* I wish I could be a good self boss like Maggie, but I lack discipline.
I have a hard time turning off my internal editor too.
I've sorta tried to find a middle ground with it, though. I decided I would just read back over the scene I just wrote at my next writing session, partly to get me back in the story and partly to do tentative editing. Then I move forward. So far it's work ok, though I do admit to sometimes getting distracted.
Maggie would be a good boss, huh? My self boss is a little witchier.
Good mornin' Marn.
A few years ago, Mattycakes and I did our own Thanksgiving. Normally we have Thanksgiving with his family and Christmas with mine. That year, Mattycakes' parents (parentcakes) went to Iowa instead and we decide (okay scratch that, Mattycakes decided) to have our own Thanksgiving dinner.
I dunno if we'll ever do it again. Mattycakes loves to cook. And he's an awesome cook. Me, on the other hand, catch things on fire. At 3am, I caught my oven mitt on fire, set off the smoke alarms, tripped over my step stool to get it turned off and got grumpy the bear up outta bed. Never will I try to make bread EVER again.
So with that being said, I admire the hell out of your moxy for cooking up enough food for 12-15 people. My mother does Christmas and that's about 23 people now. Mattycakes helps her. Lord help us when that torch gets passed on to Mattycakes and me. LOL
Lisa, I agree. It's a harder transition for someone to move from fan fiction to actual original fiction. For all those times we wrote, we were spoiled with the background all ready being taken care of. Characters all ready being built. But it's all about finding the write story line for your voice and once you do, it becomes much easier. Said after it's taken me two years to loosen myself up to writing an original. LOL
I have a wicked little brat internal editor. That's the other hard thing for me when writing. I can't turn it off. I've tried everything too. I've tried writing a chapter and saving it, putting it in a file folder named, "Do NOT touch this under penality of death" and that still didn't work.
I find writing insanely daunting. The only way I keep it from overwhelming me is...well, I guess I still haven't thought up a way.lol.
Also, I cook on Thanksgiving, but every woman in the family chooses three dishes and makes them so no one is saddled with the huge task.
I cooked Thanksgiving dinner one year...then asked my mom to cook again the next year. I've cooked for several people before but never at Thanksgiving. I can cook but I'm like Sin I tend to be a pyromaniac:)
Sin, I figure it will take me two years to get to the point that I really understand what writing an original is about. It's so hard for me to create the characters and keep them consistant. I tend to lose focus easily.*sigh* But I will perservere!
Interesting. Currently my short-term goal is: "Write the sex scene already" (scrapping the one I had and make an attempt for more FEELINGS and less TAB A PUT IN SLOT B.) So far, it's not worked. I open it, read to the point of the sex, get discouraged that I suck in the sack EVEN ON PAPER, turn off the computer and go to bed. Alone. Clearly I need to write a mini-goal for the scene. "Write to the orgasm" just to remind myself what we're shooting for here.
As for Thanksgiving, I'm much better at this. I outsource the desserts. My sister loves to make pies and crap. And I'll make pies and such IF it's not Thanksgiving. But I'll make the turkey and all the trimmings. And I make lists. First the menu: just exactly what will we be eating. "Come on, guys, do you need Aunt Bessie's Casserole. No one ever eats it and we only have ONE STOVE. You know that, right?" and once that's whittled down. (I mean, there's only 3-8 of us eating at any one time. 8 if we're really, really lucky. Usually it's 3--I mean, do you need 5 side-dishes plus turkey, gravy, stuffing, and potatoes? Because clearly GS&P aren't sides.)
Then I do the shopping lists; check to see what we have. My guys hoard like you wouldn't believe. I can unearth some great stuff before I have to go to the store. The guys usually get the turkey to save me the trouble. Defrost, brine, roast. I'll even get up early to slap it in the oven, go back to bed for an hour or so before getting up to do the other.
I refuse to make rolls. I spent an ungodly amount of time making HOMEMADE rolls one year (3 hours) and no one (except my wonderful sister) commented on them. I was pissed. I mean, that's like writing a historical book and researching some obscure bit of info--and no one comments positively about it.
Speaking of pie, I think a gooseberry pie would be good. Tart, sweet, and perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Delegate, delegate, delegate. Gosh, Marn, if I teach you nothing else, I'll teach you that. When I was still married I was given the job of cooking the bird one year. They didn't give me that job again. Not that it was bad. It was quite juicy. Ought to be since I cooked it upside down. Don't ask, I have no idea how I did that.
I have a gustapo internal editor. She's a total bitch who hates everything I write. But last week I read a blog interview with Eloisa James in which she said she doesn't have time to edit and sweat over every word the first time through. She gives herself permission to just write the dang thing all the way through and fix stuff later. (I'm paraphrasing, obviously)
Now, I'm no Eloisa James and there will be major fixing later, but just this morning I gave myself permission to just write. Got through an entire page my first hour here (with several interruptions...grrrrr) and at least twice I started to struggle over something. The voice in my head said, "Just keep going." And I did! How about that?!
Your macro/micro thing is right on. One chapter at a time. One scene at a time. Hell, one sentence at a time. Whatever it takes to just keep going forward.
Lisa - I feel like I'm just getting my head around this and feeling confident in writing after about 18 months at it. And you're way ahead of me since you've been writing (fanfic or not - it's writing!) for much longer. You'll get it, I know you will.
This kind of discussion has been so timely for me for all of 2008. I'm so focused on setting goals and figuring out ways to tackle my WIP that are doable for me.
I have been doing the 100 words a day thing just to keep myself writing every day but I think I like Eileen's method of weekly word counts. I've made monthly counts but I can never seem to keep them. Maybe if I break them down further it would help!
Um. Pie. I just LOVE strawberry rhubarb and now that it's getting close to summer...mmm.... I help with Thanksgiving by making the pie and the sweet potato hot dish! Both are easy. My mum and I stuff ourselves with raw stuffing before we even sit down to eat. The hazards of being the cooks! She teaches me all the stuff each year but I think I'd find it too overwhelming on my own. Thank goodness I'm not married and I can't host Thanksgiving! :)
Terri -- LOL internal gustapo...I'm stealing that from you!
Run with it, Steph. And if you want to actually take her with you, feel free to do that too.
Forgot to mention I don't like pie. Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake? I can so do that. Not make it, of course. Just eat it.
Ter, I think we might have started about the same time with the WIP. November of 06 is when I set out to write DV. May 08, still not written. LOL
Chocolate Mousee Cheesecake? That's like heaven.
Sin - Mattycakes cooks? The best DH does is pasta and once he spilled boiling pasta water on his foot, giving him the biggest, puffiest blister I've ever seen. Now he just does dishes.
This whole fan fiction thing sounds like a great idea.... I was thinking, I could get someone really talented, Judy Garwood or Jayne Ann Krentz, to write fan fiction of my work, then I can just use their work as the background for my work going forward!
No?
Oh, fine then, I'll slough on by myself...
Cap'n - I don't think GS&P are sides either. They're necessary. Sides give the impression of being unnecessary.
Gooseberry, huh? I don't know if I've ever had. Will have to investigate.
And I haven't written my first full fledged sex scene yet, but it's the scene after my next one so we'll see how that goes. Write to the orgasm.... LOL!!
Ter - delegate? huh? I'm a control freak.... I know, I know.... Though my mom in law does bring the appetizers. That's nice.... Holds off the hungry masses while I finish. Oh, and the bring the booze, another key ingredient to our family affairs.
Yay writing this morning!! Go you quieting up that editor. Seriously, we should get a muzzle for those folks. I'm about to settle in for a bit myself. We'll see how that goes.
Steph - I think word counts are a great method, though I do pages. Same I suppose. Go you!! Strawberry Rhubarb, another pie I've never tried. Perhaps I need to hit the bakery today.
Ter - Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake. Yummmm.... I love the Cheesecake Factory. They have a Coconut Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake I love. Maybe I'll go there today instead of the bakery.
Yep, Sin, same time. And I'm 100 pages less than I was at this time last year. LOL! But one page further than last night!
Marn - I can't wait to get the email you send right before that scene. If it goes anything like the one I sent it will be something like this...
"MY CHARACTERS ARE GOING TO HAVE SEX! WHAT DO I DO?!?! I CAN'T WRITE THAT!!!"
Ter - I bet that's exactly how it'll sound. I'll be sitting in front of my computer, blushing my little Irish complexion purple.
I was so thinking of the CMC at Cheesecake Factory when I typed that. But the restaurant at Bilmore had a chocolate/peanut butter mousse one with a Reese's Cup on top. OMG - better than sex!
And I wrote my first sex scene at home, in the dark, late at night. Sort of like method acting.
I fully believe you have to have a manmade orgasm before writing a sex scene late at night. That is of course if you can't get the guy in bed variety. Or guy against a wall. My first sex scene ever written was against a wall. I've always been a little wild. LOL
I haven't actually thought of it yet. *shrugs* I was actually going to just pants it and see what happened.
Wouldn't that be DE-pants it?
ah. You may be right on that front, mate. :)
I'm focusing now on revisions, and a bit of it is driving me nuts. I'm trying to analyze why some scenes are really good (if I do say so myself...) and some are just--so--NOT. It's like the difference between technicolor and black and white. Or fat free sour cream (which I bought, why, I have no idea) and the real stuff.
Anyway, when I can figure out why something feels right to me and something else I've written doesn't, then we'll be talking major fireworks, pitchers-of-margaritas breakthrough.
Gillian - good luck! It can be very frustrating, trying to figure out the difference between eh and wow. I hope you figure it out and let us know the secret when you do. :)
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